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Smoke does amazing things to beef, pork, chicken and more at Lucky Chuck’s
by Pam Soreide, Betty Sayers, Phil Soreide

The thing that makes a restaurant special is the passion of the people who own and run it. Take, for example, Lucky Chuck’s in Eustis.

Chuck Laier is a man who knows his meat...and his smoke...and how the two combine to create a taste that transcends them both. He’s passionate about it  — get him talking as we did one recent evening and he can go on at length about the virtues of mesquite smoke over other hardwoods, how a brisket should be handled, why dry barbecue is superior to barbecues in other parts of the country, and how to cook, serve and pick a whole hog.

Capitalizing on their knowledge of beef, pork and smoke as well as their obvious enjoyment of people, Chuck and his wife Diane bought a mobile barbecue smoker in 2003 and in a few years developed a thriving catering business and a reputation for quality cuisine and service.

“Our catering customers and our neighbors in Eustis enjoy our products, so when the Eustis Pool Hall came up for sale, they encouraged us to buy the building and open it as a barbecue restaurant. They wanted barbecue and grilled steaks, chicken and seafood available to them all year ‘round.”

History you can feel

We headed out to Lucky Chuck’s one beautiful Nebraska evening, warm but not too hot, some high clouds floating in the sky, and green fields and pastures everywhere due to the rainfall. Once in Eustis, it was easy to spot the sign for Lucky Chuck’s.

Lucky Chuck’s is located in the former Eustis Pool Hall building that was built on the main street in 1918. The historic building was restored in the 1970s by Connie Koch, a Eustis entrepreneur, and recently updated by the Laiers. Exposed brick walls, stamped tin ceilings, the original plank wood floor, 95-year-old barn siding, a hand carved wooden bar and handmade wooden booths are among the architectural features that infuse the atmosphere with western lore and hint at the stories that must have been told there over the last 90 years.

Lucky Chuck’s is first and foremost a barbeque restaurant. In a tour of the establishment, it was obvious that Chuck Laier’s particular pride and joy is his huge smoker out back, so the menu runs largely to barbeque and smoked meats — including a smoked prime rib — but also offers a complete selection of steaks and a tempting sandwich menu. There are brats and brisket, chicken and ribs, all served with a selection of barbeque sauces: sweet, spicy and hot. There was even wood-grilled shrimp and a garden burger for the vegetarians among us. On Sundays, Chuck fires up his pizza oven and offers pizzas that are gaining a reputation in the Eustis area.

Deep fried green beans

While we looked over the menu, we ordered drinks. The beer selection was fairly broad and we ordered a Scottish ale and a couple of Third Stone Brown ales from Lincoln’s Empyrean Brewing Company. We also wanted some wine, and here the selection was somewhat limited to offerings from nearby Mac’s Creek Vineyards and two German Rieslings.

Not being too familiar with Rieslings, the server kindly brought tastes so we could judge the flavor we preferred. The Kabinett was the least sweet, and favored by all. Lucky Chuck’s does have a full bar, but focuses on the basics…so don’t ask for anything too exotic.

To accompany drinks and provide plenty of time for conversation, we ordered the Tumbleweed Platter, which included French fries, sweet potato fries and fried green beans, along with a zippy dipping sauce. In our quest for the best onion rings in south central Nebraska, we had to try an order of those, too. The fries were crispy and hot, and the onion rings were not the best we’ve tried — but close. But it turned out the deep fried green beans were what we fought over. Lightly battered, crisp, just slightly al dente. No one wanted to look greedy, so the last one lay in the basket for a little while until our attention was distracted and it mysteriously disappeared. The server confirmed that they were fresh green beans, battered and fried on the premises, not something out of a bag. Oh, YUM! Just the kind of discovery one hopes to make on these excursions.

You can taste the smoke

Salads were served, and they were some of the nicest we have seen on our Rural Foodies adventures. Crisp, dark green lettuces cradled baby carrots, grape tomatoes and a small pile of grapes. The blue cheese dressing was nice and thick with chunks of cheese…no runny dressing here!

As our meals arrived, the smoky aroma of mesquite wafted through the room. I have never eaten a smoked prime rib before, and it was different and delicious, especially with the barbeque sauce instead of the more traditional horseradish sauce. The accompanying baked potato was perfect, and rubbed with coarse salt. All plates included steamed carrots, which were thankfully not overcooked.

The ribs were positively infused with rich smoky flavor, and tender to the bone. The half-rack came with baked beans, potato salad and coleslaw, all of which are worth stealing a second bite. The potato salad was German style (with bacon) but with a creamy dressing. The coleslaw was crisp and well-paired with the smoked ribs, and the homemade baked beans were delicious — flavor you will never, ever get from a can.

Two of us had the shrimp, one as a salad and one as a dinner, and they were generous to share tastes. The shrimp was well-seasoned, succulent and moist, not dry as can sometimes happen on the grill. The last entrée was one of the specials, a marinated steak sandwich. Again, the choice of barbeque sauces provided a piquant counterpoint to the barbequed meat.

Some people go whole hog

It’s little surprise that customers at the restaurant often develop into catering customers.  Chuck says, their catering business is busier now than before they opened the restaurant.  “We take our catering trailer to a few street festivals,” he said, “but more often we cater private parties these days.”

Chuck tells the story of a Gothenburg company that requested a swine party — a whole roast hog including the head and the skin.

“I knew I could barbecue the pig,” Chuck said, “but I didn’t know where to buy it intact with its head and skin.  I investigated and finally found a swine producer with the skill and equipment to butcher a pig including cleaning the head and scraping the skin.  We seasoned it and roasted it long and slow,  and when the meat was tender and the skin crackling brown, it looked like a photo in a gourmet magazine...and it tasted fabulous.”

“I don’t claim that I am any better than other chefs, but I do know meat,” Chuck said. “I prepare and serve food the way I like it, and I feel ‘lucky’ that our customers agree, and return again and again.”

Count us among the ones that will be back.

Who to Contact

Lucky Chuck’s Pool Hall BBQ and Steak Outfit
Chuck and Dianne Laier
112 East Railroad
Box 98
Eustis, NE 69028
Telephone: (308) 486-3801
Hours:
11:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday
Pizza Sunday  5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Closed Monday  

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